Lexapro for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 3)

• Andreas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2022

"On this for depression and anxiety. I started having suicidal thoughts and felt so hopelessly sad. I started therapy but didn't notice much difference. I was against taking meds, but eventually I gave up and asked the doctor to prescribe SSRIs for me. She had me start on 5 mg a day of escitalopram generic. The first week, I felt good with some weird dreams, a bit of euphoria, and some nausea. Week 2, I started having vivid and horrible nightmares, and my anxiety got worse. Week 3 was also not fun, very similar to week 2, I felt a bit more sad. Week 4, I started feeling a bit better. Week 5, the doctor upped the dose to 10 mg. I felt good for 4 days, then my body started adjusting to the new dose, and it took 2 weeks of lower mood again. Nausea came back for the first 4 days of 10 mg in week 6. I started to feel much better. Now in week 8, no anxiety, no depression - I feel great. I've been exercising, cutting caffeine, eating healthy, no weight gain, no sexual problems. Life is beautiful again. Give it time."

• Andygh
• December 21, 2019

"Life saver. First week on Lexapro ain't easy. I felt every single emotion within five minutes. All day long. But once you're through with that, life starts being bright again. I experienced few side effects, which are nothing compared to the anxiety I had. If you’re just starting and you feel like it's getting worse, push through it, it gets better!"

• Gail
• February 13, 2020

"I started on Lexapro in November on 10 mg dose. Then January moved up to 15 mg, and I am now at 20 mg dose. I feel and always felt horrid. Diarrhea and achy and nausea. The docs say each time that I increase the dose I should give it time and that the side effects will get better. I don’t know what to do. Help me anyone have these side effects and do they go away."

• Bronco
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 26, 2015

"This is the first time I have ever posted a review of anything online, but I feel an obligation to share my experience with others suffering from anxiety. I suffer from GAD, which includes panic attacks, muscle aches, and a horrible temper. I avoided this medication fearing weight gain (as I had already gained 10 lbs over the year) and sexual dysfunction. When I explained this to my doctor, he replied, 'Have you ever considered whether being anxious has caused you to eat more, drink more, and maybe have sex less often?' I have been on Lexapro for 6 months now, and my only regret is not starting this treatment sooner. I have lost 15 lbs as I don't eat and drink as much anymore, and my love life has improved. Anxiety sucks. You don't have to suffer!"

• snazz...
• November 26, 2018

"Please give it a try! It works! Here are some recommendations based on my experience. It won't 'fix' you, but it'll make it so you can actually breathe again. I used to cry constantly, isolate myself, have panic attacks so frequently I couldn't even sleep, and have horrible intrusive violent thoughts. 1. Be proactive when it comes to the nausea side effect. Eat BEFORE you take the pill, and don't let yourself get hungry during the first 3-4 hours after you take the pill. Because once you get nausea, it becomes harder to eat, which only makes you more nauseous. It's a vicious cycle that can be prevented. 2. Ignore the negative reviews that are like 'I took this pill for 1 day and it caused *terrifying side effects*.' They only cause more anxiety and they're highly unlikely. 3. From my personal experience, the first things to get better were the physical symptoms of anxiety. Less panic attacks, more hunger, less crying, etc. Keeping a journal is helpful to see the progression."

• Aaron
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 4, 2020

"Since I have been on Lexapro, I can feel a significant change in how I react to my anxiety, my habits, and how it has helped with my digestion and IBS (super happy with this random bonus!). The easiest way for me to explain my overall state on Lexapro is that when I feel my anxiety rising, I am more aware of it and am able to pull myself out of a 'spiral.' For me, that is the best part. Because of the lessened anxiety, I also have fewer IBS flare-ups."

• Sb144
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 4, 2019

"Before starting Lexapro, I was a complete mess. GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) had completely taken over my life. I could barely go outside without having an anxiety attack. I started Lexapro 5 mg two years ago and my life completely changed. It took about 2 weeks for me to feel a difference, and I was blown away by how different my life was. I was going to concerts, traveling, doing things I never thought I would be able to do with my level of anxiety. I switched off Lexapro to try a new drug recently to see if it would work better, but it made my anxiety worse than ever. Thankfully I started Lexapro again last week and I already feel so much better. This drug honestly saved my life and even though everyone is different, I would completely recommend trying it if you have GAD. The side effects (for me) were mild, only some insomnia and a little dizziness, so I would say if you're starting it to wait a week or so, and you'll feel a difference. I hope my review helps!"

• Hattie...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2024

"I came on here in my darkest times, for support, encouragement and most importantly hope. I promised when I got better I would leave a review and my story, so here it is... I hope it helps. I have been medicated for anxiety for 8 years, and had been on 40mg of citalopram the whole time with hardly any anxiety blips. I decided to lower it from 40mg to 20mg and my anxiety came right back. I put it back up to 40mg but it stopped working (I was like this for 3 months). I decided to try Escitalopram (Lexapro). Started on 5mg, after a week 10mg, after another week 15mg, and then a few weeks later 20mg, and this was the sweet spot. My anxiety has been taken away and the depression has lifted. All in all, I'd say it took 4 weeks on 20mg to feel this. I am so happy I tried this medication, the Lord and savior Lexapro!"

• Jjjgf...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 27, 2019

"Lexapro has saved my life. I tried all the natural stuff but nothing really works. I'm now up to 20mg. 5mg worked at first. I did have insomnia the first week I started it, but that went away. Once it fully kicks in, it's like the darkness, depression, and anxiety are lifted, and you can see clearly. I've been through some hard times as a single mom struggling with money, court cases, and loneliness. I was suicidal until I increased to 20mg a couple of months ago. I hope I don't have to increase again, but I'm not sure if I would be alive without it. I was able to keep working and function, living a normal life again. Give the medicine 3 weeks to a month to kick in. I wasn't able to be alone or take care of my child because I was doing so bad. Now we are living alone and living a normal life. For those of you in it right now—know that things will get better. The darkness and the fear are not permanent. Lexapro with exercise, journaling, and meditation can do wonders."

• Happy
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 13, 2020

"I’ve been on Lexapro for a year now. Started at 5 mg. in Dec. 2019 and felt better, but the real improvement didn’t happen until March 2020 when my Dr. increased my dose to 10 mg. I started medication in the first place because I got to the dreaded point where I couldn’t drive anymore because of panic attacks, but now I’m driving again and no panic attacks. I still get anxiety, but I’m able to work through it. Lexapro has improved my life so much! I’m one of those people who didn’t want to take medication and tried everything else homeopathic, but in the end, I needed more. It does take patience because it does take weeks to kick in. But other than that, I have no complaints and feel like I have my life back!"

• Moniq...
• May 28, 2019

"I've been suffering from an extreme health anxiety for the last few years. I've tried a lot of different medications and nothing really helped. I've visited the ER so many times...I thought that something was wrong with me. Psychosomatic symptoms felt super real. I'd checked my cardiovascular health with a cardiologist multiple times. After a check-up, I felt OK for a couple of weeks, and then I'd started to feel bad again and went back for another check-up. I've stopped drinking coffee and exercising because I was scared of a heart attack! I was put on Lexapro. The first week was unbearable, anxiety worse than ever, but after that, I started getting better and better, and two weeks later I was feeling amazing! No more obsessive thoughts about health, I became sociable and fun again, got my life back... I definitely recommend Lexapro. It's going to be bad for a week or so, but it is absolutely worth it."

• Woman...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 5, 2014

"Lexapro is a lifesaver. Do not worry about the negative reviews, and keep in mind that the majority of them have been written by people who got off after days or a few weeks. Anxiety got a lot worse in the beginning. When it does, you get scared. Scared that the pills won't work. Scared that it will be like this forever. But it DOES get better. For me, it really took a long time. I felt a very gradual improvement every week, and after about 3 months my anxiety was practically gone. I feel like a new person - it is amazing that a pill is able to do this. And for any emetophobics reading this: It helps against that fear as well. I didn't experience any nausea, but kept Reglan just in case. Sex drive lower, but able to orgasm. Life is good."

• Emm
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2024

"I have very bad social anxiety, but I have always been a people person, so it was very hard for me. After not taking any medicine for years of having it, I finally decided to get help at 24 years old. I was really scared because a lot of people said that it made them worse before it got better, and that it did for me. I was extremely depressed and even more anxious than I was before, the first 5 weeks of taking this medicine, I didn't have any hope. I felt so off and not myself, I would just cry, and I wasn't my funny usual self, I didn't have any personality. I also slept most of the day. I was about to call my doctor to get off of it, but I stuck to it, and I am so glad I did because one day everything just changed for me. I was able to be put in social situations and not have that pit of anxiety constantly in my stomach. I actually enjoy doing things now because it is almost completely gone. I am very much myself again and love life. I am a lot happier. Excited to see even more improvement."

• Aztec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2021

"I have suffered from anxiety and depression since I was 19 (now 38) and this past pandemic year my anxiety, stress levels, and depression just shot up. I was having to double my dose of hydroxyzine to go get groceries or even make an appointment. I work, I am a student, and a single mom of three kids. The past 2 months I was running on maybe 2 hours of sleep and just out of it. I started Lexapro recently (I am on day 4). My doctor prescribed me 5 mg and advised me to take it before bed. My first 2 days I did feel a little 'tired' and napped on and off. Day 3 and 4, and I am noticing I have slept through the night and woken up refreshed. This is very new to me. Yesterday I made it through the day without a nap!! I am excited to see where this takes me. Hang in there. I will be back to review in a few weeks."

• CaBy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2019

"After enduring a high-pressure job for many years, I succumbed to overwhelming anxiety in middle age. I was first prescribed Effexor XR. The first two weeks were awful, but finally, the bad side effects started to dissipate, albeit my anxiety was still raised. However, more worryingly, I had continuing insomnia. My doctor switched me seamlessly to Lexapro with no issues other than the continuing raised anxiety. I started on 5mg for a week, and this was raised to 10mg, but the raised anxiety was still present. I asked the doctor to raise me to 15mg, and for the first two weeks, the anxiety was still present until finally it abated. One month later, I'm sleeping by myself and back feeling like my old self. I have motivation again and am returning to the workforce. I posted this because frankly the negative reviews on the net scared me senseless."

• Doodl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 27, 2020

"So I’ve been on this Lexapro for almost a couple of months, and I’ve been trying to stick it out to see where it gets me. I started taking whole pills, which was and is terrible, the side effects suck. So I started taking a half in the morning and a half in the evening. I felt like I was finally getting somewhere, and my moods were getting better, but I keep having what seems like more attacks. For a few days now, I’ve just not been myself—dizzy, brain fog, frequent urination, fatigue. It’s so hard to get out of bed in the mornings, even when I get plenty of sleep. My sex drive has drastically gone down to almost nothing, and it's horrible, I would rather deal with attacks and take a Xanax every day than deal with the side effects of this medication. I will be calling my doctor and weaning off it. I want my life back. For all of you that it has worked for, I’m happy it worked for you. Unfortunately, everyone’s bodies don’t take things as well as others."

• Heck
• February 29, 2020

"I had issues with random fainting and severe vertigo. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong, and my anxiety was intense from these, which led them to believe it must be panic attacks. First week on a low dose felt really messed up, but I was encouraged to keep it up. Then one day, I suddenly dropped into paralysis and felt a fear that I didn't know I was capable of feeling. I've been bad before many times and never felt this kind of fear. It felt like my organs were shutting down. I couldn't scream. I couldn't breathe. I was deaf and blind, while sweat poured off me. Everything was paralyzed. It lasted a few minutes, and I hyperventilated when it finally stopped as I had been unable to breathe that whole time. The doctor told me it was a panic attack and to keep taking them. I said I couldn't, and he said it's just a placebo anyways. He didn't believe my reaction and became angry with me. Because of this, I now have a huge fear of SSRIs and distrust in the medical system."

• Deb
• December 16, 2020

"I've been on Lexapro for 6 weeks for severe anxiety with depression. I'm feeling better than I have in years! Finally found something that works for me! Hang in there y'all. It really started working in the last week."

• Mii
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2019

"The first couple of weeks I had nausea but it went away! I had anxiety & depression. I’ve been taking for about 4-5 months. This pill has changed my life. I get excited about a sunny day. I have for the first time in 6 years made new friends and the color is back in the world for me. I used to be very underweight like 40kg and hated food, to gaining 10kg in 4 months and enjoying food & loving my body. After a couple of months on this pill, I just noticed “hey I don’t cry at the bottom of the shower anymore”. Things are better. I hope this helps someone out there."

• Chris...
• March 24, 2017

"I was prescribed Lexapro after some fairly rough depression and anxiety. I had been in the hospital 3 times in 2 weeks for anxiety attacks. The first day after Lexapro, I felt the depression gone. Literally the first day. However, the first 3-4 weeks were rough. I definitely had nausea and was VERY sleepy. But after about a month, the nausea and sleepiness went away. A nurse at our doctor's office basically told me to suck it up, and that I had to give the medicine time to work. I toughed it out, and after about 6 weeks, it was like a cloud was lifted and I have felt AMAZING ever since. I didn't realize that I have probably had depression and/or anxiety for decades until I found out what it was like to feel great. Still great after a year."

• Dee
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2021

"Day 3 on Lexapro. Had been on it a few years ago and it worked great. I have severe anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and panic attacks. Got side effects the first time I used it and was started at 5mg. I think some of that was fear of a new medication. This time was started on 10mg. Except for being tired about an hour after taking it (which is why I take it after dinner), I haven’t had any other side effects. Slept great. Woke up feeling better just knowing relief is coming. I usually wait months trying to cure my anxiety naturally, which, sadly, I haven’t been able to. I suffer for months, finally take the med & then regret waiting. Gave in much faster this time. Life should be more than nonstop worrying. I’ll post an update in a few weeks."

• Roche...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2024

"Love reading these reviews! I've been a terribly anxious person my entire life, as far back as I can remember. Because of the stigma/shame of mental illness, and my social anxiety, I chose to self-medicate at different times in my life to help ease my pain.This only made things worse. Recently, I lost a brother to cancer, my brother-in-law committed suicide, and many other issues in my life caused my already anxious/depressed state to turn into full-blown panic 24/7. I was in pure hell - not sleeping, no appetite, avoiding people, not going anywhere. I finally got an appointment with a psychiatrist who started me on Lexapro several days ago. I took 5 mg for a few days and now I'm taking 10 mg. I can feel the heavy anxiety lifting, and I have so much hope for the future that I didn't have before... much of this came from reading reviews from people who described having felt just like me, and are doing so much better now since they've been on Lexapro. For those still suffering, know that there is hope! Blessings!"

• Landb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2020

"I started on this drug on my doctor's advice to ease the anxiety that was occurring from taking blood pressure medication. I wish I would have found it years earlier, even before the blood pressure medication highlighted my anxiety. It took about 2 weeks to start kicking in. It negates anxiety and enables me to deal with what is in front of me far better. Plus, silly or repetitive, negative thought loops cease and I get over things that upset me way faster and easier. The only negative for me is that I know I am on something. The positives far outweigh this negative and my doctor says after about a year she will wean me off and hopefully my serotonin levels will remain at a higher level, so I don't have to be on it forever."

• Anonymous
• July 27, 2008

"Without going into my whole story about this drug and the events that led me up to the point of taking it, I will just say my piece about it and move on. At the risk of sounding cliché, it is a miracle drug. It completely changed my life for the better. I really can't even begin to say all the specific things it helped me change about myself. I'm not normally the type of person who will get on the Internet and give kudos to a product of any kind, but with this, I am. Look into it!"

• Phantom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 15, 2016

"I have had three very good experiences with Lexapro. To any readers in deep depression and with anxiety, rule one is to not take bad experiences you read on the web as your future experience. Each time I have experienced major depression, I started on 10 mg and had to grind my way through at least 4 weeks to feel any positive effects and the worst side effects were gone. I was bumped up to 20 mg, and it took two weeks of living through hell again and then suddenly it was gone. Exercise, get out and face your demons, and remember it can and will get better (yes, hard to believe when they could scrape you off the wall, but it will happen). Good luck... you have my sympathy and encouragement."